Carole?s making a spectacle

Community support for Rotary's 'Used Specs for the Third World' project has been overwhelming, already yielding 999 pairs of spectacles and 564 pairs of lenses since its launch a few months ago.

"The response has been fantastic and we would like to thank people for their support," Ms Young said.

"But . . . with 700 million people around the world with sight defects, we still have a long way to go.

"So please keep on donating your unwanted spectacles."

Those spectacles already collected have been sent to Sydney for grading by an optician. They will then be shipped to countries such as Mongolia, India and the Philippines, where teams of optical volunteers match patients with the most suitable spectacles after performing vision tests.